What to Wear When it's Raining

Stylish, not soggy.

Jan 25, 2024

I’m from the northwest of England. It’s wet. Especially at this time of year, when at least a constant drizzle accompanies most days. It makes getting dressed… annoying. Give me the cold any day but rain? Suddenly my go-to trainers become obsolete. The very non-waterproof coats and jackets I always wear have to stay hung up on the peg. And I have to leave my heavier wool trousers alone - as soon as they start to get a bit soggy, it’s game over.

So the question is: how do you get dressed - and still feel good - when it’s raining? How do you bring in elements of your style so that when you arrive somewhere, dump your umbrella in the stand at the front door and hang up your wet coat, you still feel good underneath?

Well, here’s my ‘formula’. Below is a pretty standard look for me when it rains: a waterproof trench, a cotton top (layered with other pieces now and worn on its own in warmer months), ankle-length or cropped trousers, and chunky ankle boots.

Wearing: Uniqlo U trench (old. Similar here - size up for a more oversized fit), Uniqlo U T-shirt, COS jeans, Solovair ‘Dealer’ boots*

The waterproof coat

It starts with the coat. Until a few years ago, I didn’t have a ‘proper’ waterproof coat. I spent a lot of my childhood weekends in North Wales, stuffed into a (too big) hand-me-down Sprayway anorak so I think as I got older I wanted to move away from that aesthetic as much as possible. Inevitably I’d get wet and cold on those really rainy days as I tried to make my usual coats work (they didn’t). A few years ago I gave in and bought myself a waterproof trench coat from Uniqlo U. Admittedly, I doubt it would last for hours in the rain but it does the job when I’m out and about.

Besides its waterproof fabric, the best things about it are its length - it sits midway on my calves - and its hood, so I can have extra protection even when I do have an umbrella. I also love the style of it - so much so, that I often wear it on non-rainy days too. It has that classic beige trench coat design with Uniqlo U’s signature oversized fit - and it definitely doesn’t look like an anorak.

More raincoats

Norwegian Rain ‘Raincho’. A sculptural, versatile, stylish take on the see-through poncho. This one’s waterproof, unisex and comes with a fancy cashmere-lined collar.

Rains trench coat. Was Rains the first brand to make raincoats cool? Probably. This one is the brand’s take on the classic trench coat. It’s lightweight, waterproof and comes with the handy additions of a hood and belt.

The chunky boots

Next up: the footwear. You’ll want something that’s waterproof and covers a lot of the foot/ankle so you don’t get wet and/or muddy from any splashes. You could go for a welly here (Hunter does good ankle boots if you don’t fancy those knee-high ones) but I find a good quality chunky leather boot also does the trick - especially if you’re heading somewhere you don’t want to be sploshing around in your wellies in.

These boots are from Solovair, a Northampton-based brand of shoes that are manufactured by NPS Shoes (or Northamptonshire Productive Society), the UK’s oldest surviving worker’s cooperative that was established in 1881. Solovair combines traditional British craftsmanship with contemporary technology and materials, and each shoe is Goodyear-welted - so they’re built to last.

More chunky boots

Ganni recycled rubber boots. Rubber pull-on boots? Rainy day footwear doesn’t get much better. You could easily wear these on dry days too.

Arket Chelsea boots. A slightly smarter boot that will work with pretty much every outfit. These are 100% leather with a rubber sole, so they’ll work in the rain too.

The trousers

I say trousers because that’s normally what I’d be wearing, but you could opt for tights here if you’re more of a dress/skirt person.

I’d go for a cropped length. Something that will sit around the top of your boots (if they’re ankle boots) and will mean the hems don’t get dragged through puddles. You’ll also want to choose a fabric that won’t get ruined (or take forever to dry) when it inevitably gets wet - so I choose denim or cotton over wool. These are my most-worn jeans that I bought from COS a few years ago. They have a tapered leg, they’re slightly cropped, and they’re the kind of piece that I won’t mind getting mud splashed on.

More trousers

COS navy barrel-leg chinos. I have a very similar pair to these and I love the shape. They’re cropped, so they’ll work over boots in the rain and they’re stylish enough for smarter occasions too.

Asket jeans. I have these jeans and the fit is incredible (comfortable AND flattering). They sit just above the ankle so they’re great for wearing with boots - plus the denim isn’t too heavy so they dry quickly if they get wet.

The top

If you’ve got your waterproof coat on, you shouldn’t need to worry too much about what top you’re wearing. I tend to avoid my thick, chunky wool jumpers - mainly because the sleeves tend to be long so there’s a high chance that the cuffs will get wet and then you’re spending your day in a soggy jumper. So I go for layers in lightweight cotton that are quick-drying and with layers, I can easily peel them off if I need to.

Lightweight knits work well here - simply turn up the cuffs to avoid them getting wet (I have a merino jumper from Asket that’s a great example) - as do cotton button-down shirts. For extra warmth, pop a wool or padded vest on top - my vests from A Kind of Guise and OMHU have been lifesavers for this over the past couple of months.